Listening to our patients, families, and communities

Osler’s Patient Experience team assists patients and family members with suggestions, inquiries, concerns and compliments. Your feedback helps us celebrate our successes and focus on our opportunities for improvement.

Yes, the PRMs are employees of Osler; however, we provide an impartial and objective perspective to issues brought to our attention. Our efforts are intended to emphasise what is in the patient’s best interest, within the limits of legislation, best practices, College standards, etc.

The funds generated from parking charges support various hospital initiatives and functions, such as purchasing new equipment. Our fees are determined annually following a market review of similar community hospitals and our rates are competitive. Please see the parking booth attendants for rates and options.

Please contact the Finance Department at 905-494-2120 ext. 56851 for room rates. We strongly advise that you speak with your health insurance provider to understand coverage before securing a room, as you will be responsible for the charges. Also, please note that despite coverage or your ability to pay, we may not have a private or semi-private room available. We have limited numbers of these rooms and the first priority for their use is to isolate infectious patients. Learn more about our billing and payment.

Yes, you will receive medical attention for matters that are urgent and/or life threatening. The health care team will discuss practices regarding the care of non-urgent medical issues. Learn more about our billing and payment.

Help me understand how long I will wait to see an Emergency Department physician.

The Emergency Department does not work on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Instead, patients are seen based on their condition. This means that patients who arrived after you may be seen before you. Please note that staff do not know when you will be seen, assigned an ED room or admitted to the ward. The nature of the triage system, the unknown numbers and condition of patients arriving after you, the length of time physicians spend with patients ahead of you and the discharge plans of those on our inpatient units are all things that cannot be predicted. We ask that you be patient.

Under the Mental Health Act, patients must meet very specific criteria at the time of assessment in order to be held involuntarily. If the physician does not determine that the patient’s mental condition meets any of those requirements, the patient cannot be held involuntarily.

Physicians decide whether a patient needs to be admitted to hospital based on the patient’s condition and/or clinical findings. Patients are only admitted for medical issues that cannot be addressed in the community setting.

When a patient no longer requires hospitalization for further treatment, the doctor will discharge the patient. Many acutely ill, chronically ill and post-surgical patients are discharged to self care, family care and/or publically funded care supports like the CCAC, for on-going management in the community.

We welcome open dialogue, so that we can address questions or concerns about the treatment plan. However, it is the clinician’s responsibility to propose the final treatment option(s). It is the patient’s or Substitute Decision Maker’s (SDM) responsibility to select from the available treatment options offered and to provide consent. Patients or SDMs also have the right to decide when to discontinue treatment that has been consented to earlier.

In Ontario, a capacity assessment determines a patient’s ability to make his or her own decisions. The assessment is carried out by the licensed health care practitioner proposing the treatment or plan. Patients are considered capable to act for themselves when they demonstrate to the assessor that they understand and appreciate the risks and benefits of the specific topic being discussed.

We will follow the direction of all capable patients regardless of age, including the choices and directions of minors and seniors, even if unsupported by family.

Only when a patient is found to be incapable do we look to the SDM hierarchy list as follows:

Legal Guardian.

Power of Attorney for Personal Care.

>Representative appointed by the Consent and Capacity Board.

Spouse or partner (common law or primary companion as defined by the patient).

Child or parent with custody rights (all children are equal and must agree but can differ).

If you are the SDM, you are required by legislation to be “ready, willing and available” to act in this capacity. Failure to meet any one of these requirements may be cause for your being removed and where applicable, replaced by the next person on the hierarchy list. As SDM, you are obligated to make decisions for the incapable patient according to what you know about their prior expressed wishes. If you do not know, you are obligated to make decisions in the patient’s best interests, according to your understanding of their values, beliefs, etc. You should limit imposing your feelings, values or beliefs only to circumstances where you have no insights to draw from.

Ontario legislation outlines that personal health information is to be shared only with the patient or if incapable, the SDM. We will communicate directly with capable patients and they in turn can share their information with whom they choose. If the patient consents to us sharing information, we will do so; however, see “Useful Tips” number 4 for our practice. If the patient is deemed incapable, the above practice applies to the SDM.

Leave valuables at home: If you are coming to the hospital, please leave your valuables at home, or give them to a friend for family member for safekeeping. If this is not possible, please ask for Security Services to discuss your options. Hospitals are busy public buildings and, unfortunately, our staff are not able to keep watch over your belongings.

Young children need supervision: When visiting the Emergency Department, coming for an appointment or bringing a child to an appointment, we recommend that you do not bring other small children unless you have someone over the age of 14 to supervise them.

Bring a list of your medications and your questions: When coming to the Emergency Department, please bring a list of medications, (prescription and over-the-counter) that you take regularly. When possible, it’s also a good idea to write down your questions and concerns so that staff can address your needs thoroughly.

Identify one family support person: Please identify one family support person who can share information about your condition and progress between members of the health care team and the rest your family.

Speak to the discharge planner: Once the Most Responsible Physician (MRP) has determined that a patient is no longer acutely ill, a designation of Alternate Level of Care (ALC) may be made. These patients may be subject to co-payment charges. Your Discharge Planner to understand these charges and your MRP to understand the rationale behind an ALC designation.

Long- term care – eligibility and choices: case managers from Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) determine a patient’s eligibility for Long-term Care (LTC), Convalescent Care and Respite Care. If a patient is eligible for LTC, we recommend that you choose two or three facilities from the case manager’s list of places available. Remaining in the hospital puts a stable patient at risk of acquiring a nosocomial infection such as C-diff., MRSA, VRE or ESBL, which can be harmful patients who are elderly or have complex medical conditions.

Community based health care services: The CCAC can also provide or connect you with community based health care services. Referrals to the CCAC must be made by a member of your health care team, so please ask if you wish to arrange for services after your discharge.

Patient surveys

If you have a hospital stay at Osler, you may receive a phone call from a Service Excellence Call-centre agent two business days after your discharge home. Please participate as your feedback will help shape Osler’s services in the future.

You may also receive a survey in the mail from NRC Picker, a third party surveyor. Their survey is conducted on behalf of all Ontario hospitals and offers information that is used to provide comparisons and develop benchmarks in patient care. Please take some time to complete and mail in this document. Again, your feedback will help us to make continued improvements to our patient care services.